Le Bris urges Sunderland to stick together after Dinamo Zagreb defeat

Sunderland lost 2-0 at home to Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League. After the defeat, Régis Le Bris urged his players to stick together and respond. Luka Stojković and Dion Beljo scored in the first half for Dinamo Zagreb.

Le Bris acknowledged the difference between the two halves and praised his team’s response. Sunderland hit the woodwork three times after the break. Wilson Isidor also had a goal ruled out for offside following a video assistant referee review.

Dinamo Zagreb took the lead through a Stojković volley after a corner. The midfielder then picked out Beljo with a chipped pass, and the forward finished for the second goal. Sunderland pushed to get back into the match, but Dinamo held firm: Malick Fofana and Trai Hume were both denied in the same move by crucial defensive blocks.

Le Bris tried to change the course of the game with four half-time substitutions, followed by the introduction of Brian Brobbey in the second half. The changes did not bring Sunderland back into the contest. At the other end, Chris Rigg crossed for Jules Ahoka, whose header went straight to Dinamo’s goalkeeper. Later, Reinildo’s header was kept out before Danso hit the bar with the rebound.

The result adds to Sunderland’s difficulties. Sky Sports notes that Le Bris has just one win in his last six matches in all competitions and that Sunderland are bottom of the Premier League. The Europa League is now another source of trouble alongside the club’s league form. Dinamo, meanwhile, moved to seven points in the league phase, while Leko is refusing to look too far ahead.

The schedule and Le Bris’s decisions have also prompted questions. Sky Sports says the Thursday-to-Sunday run of fixtures is taking its toll on Sunderland and considers the squad’s depth insufficient. Le Bris, for his part, chose to make this week’s match against Chelsea the priority. After the loss to Dinamo Zagreb, his call for unity comes with an immediate challenge: finding a collective response.